2000 AD - The Ultimate Collection

[Michael Knight]

Hi Folks! Has anyone received issues 15, 16 or the covers special yet? I contacted Hatache on Thursday still waiting for a reply.
To be honest if im going to end up a behind on release dates for these books i think i will be cancelling my subscription. I really cannot believe such a large publisher of partworks has made such a mess of this issue. On the facebook page they just seem to ignore people, wheras on on the Judge Dredd one they replied.
The books themselves are lovely, I just feel that their customer service is a joke.
Speaking to them on phone their staff are very friendly and polite but they have worst phone line and i know from friends im not alone in experiencing this problem.
Has anyone else had problems with other partwork collections like this? Where you subscribe and end up being behind schedule compared to the shops?
Im literally flummoxed and seriously thinking of cancelling my subscription as i dont seem to get any benefits subscribing thus far

[Tomwe]

Has anyone else had problems with other partwork collections like this? Where you subscribe and end up being behind schedule compared to the shops?
Im literally flummoxed and seriously thinking of cancelling my subscription as i dont seem to get any benefits subscribing thus far

Yes, the Transformers one is behind a month exactly the same for subscribers, but it happened gradually rather than in one hit.
If I had a corner newsie nearby I'd be using them rather than subscribing now the free gifts are done. I'm not getting the covers books.

[Michael Knight]

I only stopped picking it up from my local thrill merchant has he has sadly retired.

[robert_ellis]

Never phone Hachette - you'll risk your sanity. Use messenger. I've only just received 15 & 16 - I'm sure they'll sort things out eventually. The bookends were worth the wait and the Nemesis figure sold well on EBay! Remind yourself that the books are amazing value. I know the MegaCollection has a few bumps and reprint issues but in time I'm sure things will work out.

[Michael Knight]

I messaged them on Thursday and still no reply. Interestingly they have responded to other people on FB page. I really cant believe how poorly they treat customers. I think im going to cancel my subscription.

[moldovangerbil]

On a rare positive note, they seem to have updated my account so it now details exactly which issues and 'free' gifts have been sent out.  Hopefully, that's something they've done for everyone.

[Arkady]

On a rare positive note, they seem to have updated my account so it now details exactly which issues and 'free' gifts have been sent out.  Hopefully, that's something they've done for everyone.

Me too. i was told it would happen in January, but it happened last week.

[Fungus]

This thread does read like a support helpline most of the time... 

Nurse! Clear! Back to the Thrills!
That's Nemesis vol. 2 read and since I don't re-read stuff it was fresh again. There were some good asides (thank you Ro-Jaws) and it does rattle along at a pace. The Gothic Empire especially has some nice ideas and the creators clearly enjoyed themselves. Wasn't a complete success, the melodrama and gobbledygook (and logical silliness) in book 6 made things a bit tedious.

But the art was nice - and I look more to that, stories rarely hit that sweet spot where they don't rankle in some way. Maybe just me... Hugely looking forward to some Hicklenton next volume, love his style. And though he doesn't feature much in vol. 2, I'm staggered all over again at Kevin O'Neill. Early Gothic Empire episodes are wondrous. Time was, I'd rate Bolland as a clear favourite prog artist - right now it's probably a tie.

[Rara Avis]

I got 17 and 18 with the sketch book but I just realised I only got ONE BOOKEND!!! I guess I thought the other would be sent at a later date ..

[Rara Avis]

I found the other one .. crisis of symmetry averted!!

[Michael Knight]

they just got back to me and simply said 15 and 16 will be in next delivery despatched 26th April. No mention of covers book or whether i will receive 4 issues in one delivery next time? Ridiculous customer service in comparison to the Dredd one which i found actually rather good.

[Mattofthespurs]

So people get what they paid for shocker!

Really? Not aiming this at anyone in particular but you pay your money and you will get your stuff.

[IndigoPrime]

So people get what they paid for shocker! Really? Not aiming this at anyone in particular but you pay your money and you will get your stuff.

It's more than that, though. A subscription is the best way to reward a publisher with your business. And subscribing generally comes with benefits to the consumer: delivery to your address; getting the product at the very least when it's available in stores, and often earlier. I can't imagine too many people would be thrilled with Rebellion if they suddenly messed up and started sending subscription copies to 2000 AD out a couple of weeks after you could pick the things up in WHSmith.

From what I've seen elsewhere online, dealing with Hachette is a crapshoot. For whatever reason, it seems the Dredd collection went more smoothly than others. It's likely the 2000 AD was was derailed due to the covers volume. Perhaps they thought they could get things done with just a slight delay, which subsequently mushroomed.

It's notable, though, to look at the direct debit dates, which ran like clockwork through into this year, where I see 5 Jan and 2 Feb, before a rather big gap of eight weeks before the next payment. We now hear the next payment will be on 27 April, after which point they possibly (depending on interpretation) aim to get things back on track.

Regardless, sure, you'll get what you paid for in the end. But poor customer service and not making good on original promises isn't a great thing, not least when you're in a project for the long haul. (If the 2000 AD collection ends on 80 issues, it'll be, what, the end of 2021 before it's done?)

[The Monarch]

although lets be honest this ain't ending at vol 80

[Jade Falcon]

I hope it wouldn't be another ten volumes of Slaine, there's so much more they could put in.